Cheeky Chocolate
Cheeky Chocolate is a blue mixed-traffic chocolate bar. She runs her own branch line with Bread Head. Cheeky Chocolate is one of the oldest Shopkins in Shopville and is occasionally made fun of for her age. Despite this setback, she is also very wise and optimistic, and spreads her knowledge and encouraging attitude toward the other Shopkins. Biography When Trevor was to be the main star attraction for the Vicar's garden party, Cheeky Chocolate wanted to help but did not know how. Her chance came when the Vicar forgot to promote the party by putting up the posters, so she suggested having them put up on her cab and coaches as part of the party's advertisement. Her plan worked and so many people came to the party that they raised a lot of money for the children. The Vicar later thanked Cheeky and her crew for their idea. In the fifth season episode Haunted Spilt Milk, it is revealed that Cheeky Chocolate has a penchant for telling spooky stories on Halloween that the other Shopkins enjoy. Cheeky told Spilt Milk that whenever an owl hoots, a mist rolls in and when the mist is about, there is a ghost about too. In the sixth season episode Scaredy Shopkins, she told them a story of a ghost Shopkin that returns to the smelters in search of her lost whistle every Halloween. In addition to running her branch line, Cheeky Chocolate often acts as a banker for other Shopkins up Lippy’s Hill when their trains are too heavy. In spite of Cheeky’s great history with the railway and her good relationship with the other Shopkins, her old age makes some Shopkins think that she is unreliable. Lippy Lips would always still tease and talk down about her, even going as far as suggesting that she should "retire." When Kooky Cookie told her driver about this, who told the Fat Controller, she arranged for Cheeky to show D'lish Donut how to run the loop line, while Posh Pear did her work. Unfortunately, Posh Pear got stuck on Lippy’s Hill when the Troublesome Trucks held her back. When Lippy Lips came behind her, she could not push Posh Pear up the hill. Cheeky was sent to help the double train up and when they arrived at Small Mart station, the Fat Controller rebuked Lippy Lips for her horrible comments about Cheeky. Lippy apologised to Cheeky the following day and from then on, she never suggested her "retiring." Since then, Cheeky's skill as a banker is always valued among Lippy Lips and the others, as seen in Cheeky the Great and You Can Do it, Papa Tomato!; in Chickens to School, Cheeky exclaimed, "I'm always helping Lippy Lips up the hill!" However, her speed left a lot to be desired. In As Good as Lippy, Popette had to wait for Cheeky Chocolate at the crossing. Impatient, Popette snidely told her to hurry up, calling her "Slowcoach." When Lala Lipstick visited Shopville and beat Lippy's record, she insulted the Sudrian Shopkins, who became fed up with Lala’s boastfulness. They wanted to race Lala to The Duke and Duchess of Boxford's Summer House, but the Fat Controller chose Cheeky to go there instead. Lippy thought that Cheeky should not be doing an express Shopkin’s job and Strawberry Kiss thought that Cheeky would let the whole railway down. Regardless, Cheeky tried her best and had several moments of triumph during the race. Lippy saw how hard Cheeky was trying and took back her earlier words, encouraging Cheeky instead, calling her "a credit to the railway!" Cheeky eventually won due to Lala falling asleep and felt like the pride of the Shopville railway—and she was right. Cheeky has always been a kind and wise Shopkin, though in some scenarios, she has acted a bit judgemental to newcomers. For example, in Lippo to the Rescue, she claimed that Lippo "doesn't even look like a Shopkin." In Apple Blossom and the New Shopkin, she was one of the Shopkins to spread rumours that Egghead wanted to bump the Shopkins. In Cheeky Strikes Out, she agreed with Lippy's element of doubt about Rocky and called him a "new-fangled nonsense". The narration at the episode's start reveals that this is because Cheeky has worked in Shopville the longest. In both the first and third of these scenarios, Cheeky learned of Lippo and Rocky's usefulness by their episode's ends. In Calling All Engines, Cheeky acted so discriminate towards Flippy, Lifty and Shifty and blamed them for collecting the wrong building material for the new Shopville Sheds. In Cheeky and the Mail, she did not want to embarrass herself in front of the other Shopkins, so he tried to take the mail train without asking Kooky, who was in need of repairs, for advice, resulting in her delivering the mail to all the wrong places. Cheeky has also acted excitable in some episodes. In the twelfth season episode, Steady Cheeky, she was given a task of taking the new water wheel to Great Waterton. She ignored the Fat Controller's advice to take the express track, took all the bumpy tracks to show off and resulted in the water wheel almost being scrapped. In Apple Blossom and the Runaway Kite, she wanted to help Apple Blossom to chase after the Fat Controller's grandchildren's kite. Since then, Cheeky has tried to regain her usual self, which one day made Doc Broc think she was too old to have fun in Doc Broc and Cheeky. Cheeky was upset about this so she tried to be as fun as Doc Broc, but this only caused even more trouble. Since then, she has just stuck to being the wise and kind Shopkin that she was of old. In the fifteenth season, Cheeky was sent to work with Harold for the day, being given the chance to be a hero. After observing Lippy and Rocky in action, Cheeky resolved to fulfill her hero role by being "strong and fast and stern". On her way to the Shopville Search and Rescue Centre, Cheeky found a miserable Doc Broc and cheered him up by telling him a joke, collected Dowager Hatt's suitcase when it was sent to the wrong station and rescued a lost Katie the sheepdog. Cheeky was still determined to be what she thought a hero but found that her time spent helping others had made her late for Harold, who was not at the Rescue Centre when Cheeky chuffed in. The Fat Controller reassured Cheeky that being kind, funny and gentle was Cheeky being herself, enough to be a hero and everyone cheered for her. Harold arrived looking for Cheeky, who just smiled. In the eighteenth season, she was still being teased by Lippy Lips, who thought she was unreliable for breaking down frequently, but Cheeky claimed that she had not broken down in ages. When Lippy later got stuck on her hill, Cheeky came to push her. As they reached the top of the hill, Lippy just carried on without saying "thank you." Cheeky complained about Lippy's ungratefulness to Apple Blossom, who came up with a plan. Apple Blossom challenged Lippy Lips to a race across the island. As Lippy nearly caught her up, Apple Blossom pulled onto the same track which meant Lippy had no choice but to follow her. At Lippy’s Hill, the two Shopkins were going so slowly that Lippy stopped and got stuck again. As Apple Blossom carried on her way, Cheeky arrived. This time, it was Cheeky's turn to call Lippy unreliable for always getting stuck on her own hill. Cheeky then began to carry on her way too, but Lippy begged her to help. Lippy promised to never call her old and unreliable again. Cheeky forgave Lippy and gave her a push. The big pink Shopkin even said "thank you" once they had reached the top of the hill. In Shopville's Legend of the Lost Treasure, he told Apple Blossom, who was being mended at the Steamworks, that Rocky had discovered a pirate ship in the cavern in which Apple Blossom had fallen into earlier (despite Apple Blossom discovering it first). Later, while working at the Docks, Chee Zee told her, Spilt Milk, Strawberry Kiss, Rot Hot Chili and Cranky about a "lost pirate." When Apple Blossom felt that Choc N' Chip’s recklessness was going too far, Cheeky told Apple Blossom to ignore them. She laughed at Apple Blossom, Kooky Cookie and Papa Tomato for being scared of a cow which they thought was a troll, and she was also scared of going out in the night when the Shopkins thought a glowing Spilt Milk was a ghost. Cheeky was among the Shopkins who were afraid Blow Fly was the start of Shopkins being replaced. In The Great Race, Cheeky was one of the many Shopkins who wanted to go to The Great Railway Show but instead was left in Shopville. When Spilt Milk had an accident at Vicarstown on the viaduct, while taking a goods train to the Mainland, Cheeky took Melodine and Rockin' Broc to the accident scene that evening, where they lifted Spilt Milk back to safety. In the twenty-first season, Cheeky arrived at Small Mart to pick up the old public service announcement system which the Fat Controller had just replaced and took it to Crocks Scrap Yard. When Apple Blossom, Kooky Cookie and Papa Tomato could not understand the new P.A. system and took the trains to the wrong places, they tried to fix it, but it became badly burnt out and no longer working. Cheeky then returned to Crocks Scrap Yard to have Reg urgently return the old public service announcement. When Cheeky brought it back, the Fat Controller praised her for saving the old public service announcement. When her shed was being repaired after Strawberry Kiss had an accident, Cheeky was sent to Trashapillar's Shed, then the steamworks and Brendam Docks but they were all too noisy for her to get a good night's sleep. She later decided that she would stay at Wellsworth Sheds with Trashapillar instead of Shopville from now on. Personality Cheeky Chocolate is kindhearted and always keen to help a friend in need. The small Shopkins trust her to lend a listening ear and sympathetic advice. She is a hard worker too and always does her best to finish a job. If ever a Shopkin misbehaves or acts out, it is Cheeky that the Fat Controller turns to in order to soothe things out. Sadly, the big Shopkins often see Cheeky as old-fashioned and slow. While it is true she is one of the oldest Shopkins on the North Western Railway - it must be noted she helped build it - she has proved time and time again that she is more than capable of working as hard as any Shopkin, and she is a much cleverer and wiser Shopkin, too. In fact, for a time, he and Bread Head were the only engines who looked after Cheeky Cherries and knew how to put them in their place should they misbehave. Like any other wise old Shopkin, she stands for no nonsense from anyone, especially from the bigger Shopkins. From the ninth season to the fifteenth season, Cheeky had occasionally expressed insecurity in herself, such as keeping secrets from the other Shopkins and Sir Topham Hatt, when she was once leaking steam and likewise when she was told to pull the post train whilst Kooky Cookie was being repaired. Since the seventeenth season, Cheeky has been portrayed with her original personality, such as when she gave Apple Blossom advice to ignore Choc N' Chip and accepted Strawberry Kiss' request to bring the Mayor of Shopville to Callan Castle. Trivia *Cheeky Chocolate was the very first character created for the Shopville Series, in 1942. *Cheeky Chocolate is the only Shopkin whose crew has been named in the Shopville Series. In the foreword of "Cheeky the Blue Chocolate Bar" their names were given as Charlie Sand (driver) and Sidney Heaver (fireman). Their surnames came from their duties (one of the driver's jobs is to sand the rails when they are slippery to let the engine's wheels grip, while the fireman "heaves" coal to the firebox); their first names came from an engine crew from the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. *Three of Cheeky Chocolate's models are currently on display; two at Drayton Manor and the other is in Japan at the Hara Model Railway Museum (previously on display at Nitrogen Studios). *In Steady Cheeky, Doc Broc and Cheeky and Cheeky the Hero, Cheeky Chocolate refers to herself as "Cheeky". Doc Broc also refers to her by this name. "Cheeky" also happens to be Cheeky Chocolate's real name in the Greek narration and in Italy from the fifteenth season onwards; however, in the Shopkin Roll call he is referred as Cheeky Chocolate. *One of Cheeky Chocolate's production made face masks is now owned by Twitter user Thomas Merchandise. *In the French dub, Cheeky Chocolate is called Chococrante in the first seven seasons. *According to Britt Allcroft, there was a suggestion that Cheeky Chocolate should become male and be renamed to "Jerry" in the US dub, but she ended up retaining her original name and gender. *Cheeky Chocolate, along with Spilt Milk and Papa Tomato, are the first characters to be removed from the Steam Team. Category:Characters